Sec. 911. Modifications to requirements for accounting for members of the Armed Forces and Department of Defense civilian employees listed as missing
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Section 1501(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— in the subsection heading, by striking and inserting Personnel ; Persons by striking paragraph (2); by designating the second sentence of paragraph
(1)as paragraph (2); and by striking the first sentence of paragraph
(1)and inserting the following: The Secretary of Defense shall designate a single organization within the Department of Defense to have responsibility for Department matters relating to missing persons, including accounting for missing persons and persons whose remains have not been recovered from the conflict in which they were lost. The organization designated under this paragraph shall be a Defense Agency or other entity of the Department of Defense outside the military departments and is referred to in this chapter as the designated Defense Agency . The head of the organization designated under this paragraph is referred to in this chapter as the designated Agency Director . . Paragraph
(2)of such section, as designated by subsection (a)(3), is amended— in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking the official designated under this paragraph shall include— and inserting the designated Agency Director shall include the following: by capitalizing the first letter of the first word of each of subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D); by striking the semicolon at the end of subparagraph
(A)and inserting a period; in subparagraph (B)— by inserting responsibility for after as well as the ; and by striking ; and at the end and inserting a period; and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: The establishment of a means for communication between officials of the designated Defense Agency and family members of missing persons, veterans service organizations, concerned citizens, and the public on the Department’s efforts to account for missing persons, including a readily available means for communication of their views and recommendations to the designated Agency Director. . Such section is further amended— in paragraph (3), by striking the official designated under paragraphs
(1)and
(2)and inserting the designated Agency Director ; and in paragraphs
(4)and (5), by striking The designated official and inserting The designated Agency Director . Such section is further amended by striking paragraph (6). Chapter 76 of such title is amended by inserting after section 1501 the following new section: The Secretary of Defense may enter into arrangements known as public-private partnerships with appropriate entities outside the Government for the purposes of facilitating the activities of the designated Defense Agency. The Secretary may only partner with foreign governments or foreign entities with the concurrence of the Secretary of State. Any such arrangement shall be entered into in accordance with authorities provided under this section or any other authority otherwise available to the Secretary. Regulations prescribed under subsection (f)(1) shall include provisions for the establishment and implementation of such partnerships. The Secretary of Defense may accept voluntary services to facilitate accounting for missing persons in the same manner as the Secretary of a military department may accept such services under section 1588(a)(9) of this title. The Secretary of Defense may enter into a cooperative agreement with, or make a grant to, a private entity for purposes related to support of the activities of the designated Defense Agency. Notwithstanding section 2304(k) of this title, the Secretary may enter such cooperative agreements or grants on a sole source basis pursuant to section 2304(c)(5) of this title. The Secretary may allow a private entity to use, at no cost, personal property of the Department of Defense to assist the entity in supporting the activities of the designated Defense Agency. The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to implement this section. Such regulations shall provide that acceptance of a gift (including a gift of services) or use of a gift under this section may not occur if the nature or circumstances of the acceptance or use would compromise the integrity, or the appearance of integrity, of any program of the Department of Defense or any individual involved in such program. In this section: The term cooperative agreement means an authorized cooperative agreement as described in section 6305 of title 31. The term grant means an authorized grant as described in section 6304 of title 31. . Section 1505(c) of such title is amended— in paragraph (1), by striking the office established under section 1501 of this title and inserting the designated Agency Director ; and in paragraphs
(2)and (3), by striking head of the office established under section 1501 of this title and inserting designated Agency Director . Section 1509 of such title is amended— in subsection (b)— in the subsection heading, by striking ; Process in paragraph (1), by striking POW/MIA accounting community and inserting through the designated Agency Director ; by striking paragraph
(2)and inserting the following new paragraph (2): The Secretary shall assign or detail to the designated Defense Agency on a full-time basis a senior medical examiner from the personnel of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System. The primary duties of the medical examiner so assigned or detailed shall include the identification of remains in support of the function of the designated Agency Director to account for unaccounted for persons covered by subsection (a). In carrying out functions under this chapter, the medical examiner so assigned or detailed shall report to the designated Agency Director. The medical examiner so assigned or detailed shall— exercise scientific identification authority; establish identification and laboratory policy consistent with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System; and advise the designated Agency Director on forensic science disciplines. Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted as affecting the authority of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner under section 1471 of this title. . in subsection (d)— in the subsection heading, by inserting after ; Centralized database ; and Files by adding at the end the following new paragraph: The Secretary of Defense shall establish and maintain a single centralized database and case management system containing information on all missing persons for whom a file has been established under this subsection. The database and case management system shall be accessible to all elements of the Department of Defense involved in the search, recovery, identification, and communications phases of the program established by this section. ; and in subsection (f)— in paragraph (1)— by striking establishing and ; and by striking Secretary of Defense shall coordinate and inserting designated Agency Director shall ensure coordination ; in paragraph (2)— by inserting staff after National Security Council ; and by striking POW/MIA accounting community ; and by adding at the end the following new paragraph: In carrying out the program, the designated Agency Director shall coordinate all external communications and events associated with the program. . Section 1513(1) of such title is amended in the last sentence by striking subsection
(b)and inserting subsection
(c). The heading of section 1509 of such title is amended to read as follows: . The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 76 of such title is amended— by inserting after the item relating to section 1501 the following new item: 1501a. Public-private partnerships; other forms of support. ; and in the item relating to section 1509, by striking preenactment .